The first part of this thesis describes the efficient synthesis of several hypervalent iodine(III) compounds. Electron-rich diaryliodonium salts have been synthesized in a one-pot procedure, employing mCPBA as the oxidant. Both symmetric and unsymmetric diaryliodonium tosylates can be isolated in high yields. An in situ anion exchange also enables the synthesis of previously unobtainable diaryliodonium triflates.

A large-scale protocol for the synthesis of a derivative of Koser’s reagent, that is an isolable intermediate in the diaryliodonium tosylate synthesis, is furthermore described. The large-scale synthesis is performed in neat TFE, which can be recovered and recycled. This is very desirable from an environmental point of view.

One of the few described syntheses of enantiopure diaryliodonium salts is discussed.Three different enantiopure diaryliodonium salts bearing electron-rich substituents are synthesized in moderate to high yields. The synthesis of these three salts shows the challenge in the preparation of electron-rich substituted unsymmetric salts.

The second part of the thesis describes the application of both symmetric and unsymmetric diaryliodonium salts in organic synthesis. A metal-free efficient and fast method for the synthesis of diaryl ethers from diaryliodonium salts has been developed. The substrate scope is wide as both the phenol and the diaryliodonium salt can be varied. Products such as halogenated ethers, ortho-substituted ethers and bulky ethers, that are difficult to obtain with metal-catalyzed procedures, are readily prepared. The mild protocol allows arylation of racemization-prone a-amino acid derivatives without loss of enantiomeric excess.

A chemoselectivity investigation was conducted, in which unsymmetric diaryliodonium salts were employed in the arylation of three different nucleophiles in order to understand the different factors that influence which aryl moiety that is transferred to the nucleophile.

Diaryl ethers are common structural features in numerous natural products and biol. active compds. Despite more than a century of immense focus on finding efficient synthetic routes to this compd. class, diaryl ethers remain difficult to obtain. Routes that are catalytic in copper have been developed, but high catalyst loadings, excess reagents, elevated temps. and long reaction times are still needed. Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings of phenols and aryl halides at temps. up to 100 °C have recently been reported to give high yields of diaryl ethers. Diaryliodonium salts are non-toxic alternatives to transition metals in the synthesis of diaryl ethers and we have recently developed effective synthetic routes to these salts. Herein we report a fast, high-yielding synthesis of diaryl ethers. The reaction conditions are mild, metal-free, and avoid the use of halogenated solvents, additives, or excess reagents. Precautions to avoid air or moisture are not needed. The scope includes ortho- and halo-substituted diaryl ethers, which are difficult to obtain by metal-catalyzed protocols .

A fast, high-yielding synthesis of diaryl ethers with use of mild and metal-free conditions has been developed. The scope includes bulky orthosubstituteddiaryl ethers, which are difficult to obtain by metal-catalyzed protocols. Halo-substituents, racemization-prone amino acid derivatives,and heteroaromatics are also tolerated. The methodology is expected to be of high utility in the synthesis of complex molecules and in thepharmaceutical industry.

The application of chiral hypervalent iodine reagents in asymmetric synthesis is highly desirable, as the reagents are metal-free, environmentally benign and employed under mild conditions. Three chiral diaryliodonium salts have been designed to provide chemoselectivity and asymmetric induction in asymmetric alpha-phenylation of carbonyl compounds. The synthetic routes to the selected targets are detailed herein, together with a structural investigation into the diastereoselectivity of the alkylation process.

Phenols, anilines, and malonates have been arylated under metal-free conditions with twelve aryl(phenyl)iodonium salts in a systematic chemoselectivity study. A new “anti-ortho effect” has been identified in the arylation of malonates. Several “dummy groups” have been found that give complete chemoselectivity in the transfer of the phenyl moiety, irrespective of the nucleophile. An aryl exchange in the diaryliodonium salts has been observed under certain arylation conditions. DFT calculations have been performed to investigate the reaction mechanism and to elucidate the origins of the observed selectivities. These results are expected to facilitate the design of chiral diaryliodonium salts and the development of catalytic arylation reactions that are based on these sustainable and metal-free reagents.

A direct synthesis of symmetric and unsymmetric electron-rich diaryliodonium salts is described. The use of MCPBA and toluenesulfonic acid delivers diaryliodonium tosylates in high yields. An in situ anion exchange has also been developed, giving access to the corresponding triflate salts.